Proud
by the-vampire-act
Summary: OneShot. It's always hard watching your children leave 'the nest', especially when you're full of regret. Written flashback-style.


"…**So Im still having issues, but I'm using a friend's laptop. **** I'm getting mine checked out later today, so hopefully in a few days I will have mine again. In the meantime, here's a OneShot-flashback style at Shawn when he's 18.…"**

Proud

"What the hell are doing?" Henry Spencer hissed as he watched his son pack up all of his 'personal belongings'.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Shawn muttered, never missing a beat as he folded his shirts and jeans neatly into the suit case.

"Well, it looks like you're getting ready to leave to do something really stupid, and I have a very strong feeling I'm right." Shawn turned around and abandoned his suit case; he started clapping sarcastically and gave his dad 'two thumbs up.' "Now you stop that _right _now! You are my son, and you are to show me some respect!"

"Funny, I always thought that whole respect thing worked both ways." Shawn shot back coldly. 'I may be your son, but I'm your 18-year-old son. I'm sure you know what that means, _Detective_ Henry Spencer."

"How are you going to survive out there? You're not ready for the 'real world'! Hell, you can barely make it alive in the world of make-believe you live in now! Put down that damn suit case; you're not going anywhere!"

"I'm done with this, Dad. I'm done yelling and screaming and fighting…." Shawn sighed. "I'm just done, okay? You've prepared me as much as you could, but you're never going to be fully happy with the way my life turns out."

"Spencer, where is this coming from? What are you talking about?" Henry demanded, his tone never changing.

"It means that I'm leaving, and you should be happy about it. You've raised me for 18 long and difficult years, and now it's my turn to take over." Shawn let a less than comfortable silence fill the air as he visibly watched his father realize that he wasn't screwing around-he was actually leaving. "I'll…..I'll be back, but I need to get out for a while."

"How long's awhile?" Henry asked.

Shawn picked up his suitcase and wheeled it down off his bed. He stared at the floor a minute, then he finally looked back up at his father. "I guess we'll find out." Shawn threw his backpack over his shoulders and started wheeling his suit case out the door, never looking back once.

Henry watched as his only son left his house, the first sign he had seen in a while of Shawn becoming his own man. It was refreshing to see him mature, but at the same time, it was devastating. Shawn had always been a 'screw-up' in school, but he always cleaned up after his messes. No matter how immature he acted, he knew that his son was finally growing up, and that was something to be proud of.

Henry walked over toward the window and watched as his son threw his suit case in the back of his car. Shawn looked up at his window, his eyes locking with his father's similarly colored eyes. Henry offered his son a smile; Shawn just shook his head. Finally, Shawn started walking toward the driver door, and he climbed inside. Henry could hear the sound of the ignition kicking into life as his son turned the key. He watched as the car seemed to back out of the driveway in slow motion, making the experience even more antagonizing.

Shawn's car sped down the street until it was out of sight, but Henry lingered in his place. He turned around to look at his son's room, and he took in the displays around him; a messy bed, an empty drawer, a closed closet, a series of socks and shirts on the floor, and a single sparkle from underneath Shawn's pillow. Henry's eyebrows raised and curiosity got the best of him. He removed the pillow from the bed and examined the single item underneath it. Henry turned the metal photo frame over in his hands to see the front of it. His heart jumped a beat when he saw one of the only photos that had been taken of just Shawn, his mother, and his self. The photo described the day before they had told Shawn they were splitting up-for good. It was the last time he had seen his son happy and not mad at him at the same time, and he treasured that moment. They had just finished repainting the house, and Shawn had amazingly been an incredible help to get the job accomplished in two days. That night, he told his son something that he now regretted not telling him enough:

"_I'm proud of you."_

Henry shook his head; it was too late now. He had made his mistakes, and now he had to live with the consequences. He walked toward the door of his son's room, but he paused before he closed the door. His eyes scanned the room over one last time, taking in every detail he possibly could. Then, his right hand grasped for the door knob, but once again, he was stopped. A single tear rolled down his eye as he shook his head, preparing himself for what he would say next. "I'm proud of you, Shawn."

And with that, the door was closed.

"…**I know it doesn't exactly fit the show's idea of Shawn leaving the Spencer household, but I liked it **** R&R?..." **


End file.
